Abstract | BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) allows an intensive gait training in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). There are few evidences on the effectiveness of RAGT in adults with CP. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of RAGT on gross motor function in adolescent and adult patients with bilateral spastic CP and to compare the effect of RAGT with conventional kinesiotherapy. METHODS: Forty-seven patients (mean age 21.2±5.33 years) with bilateral spastic CP were divided into two groups. Twenty-one patients underwent 20 therapeutic units of RAGT and 26 patients underwent 20 therapeutic units of conventional therapy/training (CON). The following parameters were evaluated before (V1) and after the therapy (V2): dimension A (lying and rolling), B (sitting), C (crawling and kneeling), D (standing), E (walking, running and jumping) of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88). In patients in the experimental RAGT group, these parameters were also evaluated 3-4 months later (V3). RESULTS: Comparing the mean improvements in endpoints in both groups (RAGT vs. CON) after 20 TUs, we observed the statistically significant difference (pā<ā0.001) and large effect size in all GMFM dimensions and total GMFM improvement in favour of the RAGT group. In RAGT patients, the improvement persisted even 3-4 months after RAGT (pā<ā0.001). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the intensive RAGT regimen is more effective than conventional therapy in terms of improvements in gross motor functions in adolescent and adult patients with bilateral spastic CP.
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Authors | Stanislava Klobucká, Robert Klobucký, Branislav Kollár |
Journal | NeuroRehabilitation
(NeuroRehabilitation)
Vol. 47
Issue 4
Pg. 495-508
( 2020)
ISSN: 1878-6448 [Electronic] Netherlands |
PMID | 33136072
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Cerebral Palsy
(diagnosis, physiopathology, rehabilitation)
- Exercise Therapy
(methods)
- Exoskeleton Device
- Female
- Gait
(physiology)
- Humans
- Male
- Motor Skills
(physiology)
- Prospective Studies
- Robotics
(methods)
- Walking
(physiology)
- Young Adult
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